Harold Hardrade
Well... Magnificent Century is a story, without proper story, twists, rational script. Some people may like the costumes, but the flexible pants of Suleiman or the clothes of Hürrem, which shows her breasts like a modern outfit. No offense, the directors maybe lazy about it, who knows? Characters is silly or simple, with one or two personality trait. There are some humor source, which shows the light side of a Turkish man of the 16th century. Let's talk about major event and character faults. 1. His majesty, Suleiman the Great is not great in this story. Suleiman described as a harsh, intelligent and melancolic leader, named as Great in the past. His personality is known by History lesson or any source of historical memories. I speak about the series. Here Suleiman is boring, reckless, cold, annoying and shrewd, but his judgement is clouded by... what? No one knows... (not Hürrem right now) Suleiman in the first time loved Maidevran so much, she gave him an heir. However, a woman Hürrem seduces the sultan, when falling to his arms. Later Hürrem nearly killed by Suleiman sometimes. Suleiman is unable to oversee the actions around him in the series as he always fooled by a daughter of a village priest. (no matter how Alexandra(Hürrem) shrewd, Suleiman is a politician) Maidevran, Valide (she is a meaningless character in a series, her name is mentioned twice maybe) tried to overthrow her with the aid of Grand vizier lately, Alexandra supported by only a few servant and the court support Maidevran. Suleiman also an unskilled leader or I do not know... battles are very dumb in this story. The "badass" Ibrahim and Suleiman attacked many heavy- plated warriors with light armor at 1521, siege of a castle, which is now Belgrad. Cannons shot the castle and warriors clashed against Suleiman with few turks in the background. Costums fine in the Turkish side. Suleiman portrayed as a loving father and husband mixed with a LARGE romantic cliché. Suleiman is a douchebag with his sons, because the fear of usurping, but loves them tough in deep. Suleiman is a womanizer with the aristocratic attitude. He is befriended with Ibrahim, Suleiman later turn against him as Ibrahim tried to a wannabe ruler. OK... let's move forward. 2. Hürrem/Alexandra She is tall towering over half of the palace, rounded but not fat, perfectly the opposite of the real Hürrem. Her smile is adorable, but not so remarkable... many of beautiful people had the same smile. However her rage and her outbursts is pretty remarkable, slightly remembers Joffrey B. from GoT. Alexandra is not shrewd. (in real life she is smart) She is lucky, protected by plot armor maybe... or the holy hand of writers. She quickly rivals with Maidevran, who also seems to be dizzy to not sent assassins against Hürrem or stab her somehow. Hürrem is a wannabe Queen with amazon traits. Well soup opera characters, even the main one receives no one personality to trait to the viewer feels to his/her place. Hürrem trusts people randomly, who also badly written characters. Hürrem attacked some times, but somehow survived, even when she need to dead in that silly situations. 3. Dizzy valide and Maidevran. They are total fools, if they allow, that a simply girl, a daughter of a mere priest overthrow them through 20 years. They never tried to backstab her, they tried to poison her, but... it is planned silly. As a rich people of a rich empire, they never used their servants to contact the finest assassins. Never tried to kill her in sleep. "Main alpha women" with the brain of a mere fool. Maidevran is bossy and do not tolerate well, when anybody turned against her will. Valide is proud as Maidevran, but able to excuse Hürrem allows her to join for exchange of loyalty, this makes Valide as a gentle and a tradition- follower woman, but with a sense of cruelty, when plotting with Maidevran. 3. Ibrahim of Paragli A hawkboy, who became Grand Vizier. In real life he is educated, smart and diplomatic. In the series, he is cunning, nervous and impatient. He carried statues and saw himself as the Roman deity, Jupiter. Ibrahim not want to surpass Suleiman, but he named himself as Sultan, act like a ruler, because of his Vizier position, some people like Iskender saw through him, but Rustem and Ibrahim get Iskender hanged. Ibrahim also lucky as Suleiman not executed him as cheat his sister, who beloved absurdly the earlier seasons by Ibrahim. But he is so arrogant, that he just made an affair with a servant, because he can do it. Overall his foolishness and the holy hand of writer idiotism led to his death. Summary: Forget about it, watch another series.